Hair-dressing device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a hair-dressing device comprising a motor-driven rotary part ( 8 ) slaved to an angular accelerometer ( 1 ) arranged in said handle ( 7 ), said accelerometer ( 1 ) detecting, during use, the rotary pulses generated around the longitudinal shaft of said handle ( 7 ) and transmitting a signal for starting up the motor in the desired direction.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a hair treatment device comprising a rotating mechanism of said device that fires on a manual momentum about the axis of rotation of the handle of said device without requiring contact with the hair.

PRIOR ART

Hairdressing devices using a rotation around an axis are well known in the art. This is for example various forms of hair brushes as the rotary brushes with or without blower, reels curlers or curling irons.

All these devices are provided with switches for influencing the direction and sometimes the rotational speed maintaining the switch pressed in the desired direction of rotation. These switches are easy enough to use for the hairdresser who can move around the person to comb while for the individual user who does not have the same angle of view of the camera, its use is often against-intuitive, particularly when both hands are occupied in a hairdressing operation.

There was therefore an interest in developing a device whose rotation could be driven by a simple momentum with the wrist on the handle in the desired direction of rotation to bring the rotating device.

Document EP 2 365 764 A1 discloses a hairdressing device capable of being driven in a motorized rotary motion given by the pulse on the handle of the device. The mechanism disclosed in this document uses a traction on the hair as a pulse to determine the direction of rotation. This is the resistance offered by the lock of hair that triggers the rotation mechanism of the hair device. The detecting means detects the movement along the strand of hair appliance such as starting from the root to the end of a strand of hair and triggers rotation of the device in the opposite direction. This device is not equipped with an angular accelerometer but a tension force sensor.

AIMS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a hairdressing device that can be driven with a rotational movement around the axis of the handle upon the momentum created by hand in the desired direction of rotation without any need for support or contact a lock of hair.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a hairdressing device comprising a motorized rotating part controlled by an angular accelerometer located in said handle, said accelerometer detecting, in use, the rotational impulses about the longitudinal axis of said handle and transmitting a start signal of the motor in the desired direction.

The invention includes at least one or a suitable combination of the following characteristics:

the accelerometer is activated and deactivated by a switch on the handle; the accelerometer includes:

-   -   An articulated flywheel freely on an axis of rotation;     -   A transmitter and a pair of sensors connected to an electronic         circuit comprising a microcontroller for detecting, in use, the         angle of rotation of the flywheel relative to said sensors;     -   counting said microcontroller, in use, the signals between the         transmitter and the sensors and detecting the direction of         rotation during a pulse given by the user on the handle in a         desired direction of rotation, and outputting an engine start         signal in the desired direction if the angle of rotation         generated by the pulse is greater than a preset angle; said         motor is located in the rotatable part of said hairdressing         device;

hairdressing device is a rotary brush, preferably a fan or a rotating brush rollers retractor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows an angular accelerometer shown in three dimensions with its transmitter and its sensors.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed three-dimensional view of an angular accelerometer with its transmitter and its sensors.

FIG. 3 shows a front view perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the accelerometer flywheel. Any options equilibration are optional and are not represented in the first three figures.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show alternative angular accelerometers with a return spring at the balance. 4 shows a triggering electromagnetic contactless and FIG. 5 a trigger by purely mechanical contact.

FIG. 6 shows a first hairdressing device of the invention in the form of rotary blower comprising an angular accelerometer. The big black arrow represents the impulse that can give the handle to bring the brush rotation.

FIG. 7 shows a second hairdressing device according to the invention in form of winder rollers having an angular accelerometer. The big black arrow represents the impulse that can give the handle to bring the brush rotation.

FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of the electronic pulse detection circuit provided on the handle of the hair device.

FIG. 9 is a detailed illustration of the circuit according to an embodiment of the invention comprising LED emitting light through a flywheel provided with periphery holes. This detection mechanism is mounted on the product as a rotation direction detector. The internal microcontroller counts the number of holes which pass between the transceiver and also detects the rotation direction through the torque sensors. If the angle generated by the wrist movement is greater than a preset angle, the microcontroller will generate a signal to start the motor in the correct direction. In this mode of execution the apparatus stops when the user releases the button.

REFERENCE NUMBERS OF FIGS

-   -   1: angular accelerometer     -   2: flywheel     -   3: biasing means to balance     -   4: sensors     -   5: transmitters     -   6: microcontroller     -   7: Handle     -   8: rotating part     -   9: Rotary blower     -   10: curlers reel     -   11: magnetic contactors     -   12: mechanical contactors     -   13: Start Switch of the angular accelerometer     -   14: eccentric mass

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention reveals a device of hairstyle requiring a setting in rotation as for example a rotary blowing brush 9 or one roller of hair-curlers 10. Such a device is always been driven by an engine generally located in handle 7 although it can be advantageous, for questions of obstruction of placing it in the rotary cylinder of the device of hairstyle.

To determine the direction of rotation of such an apparatus, the handle is conventionally provided with a two-way switch for acting on the direction of rotation of the rotary cylinder. To the hairdresser use of this type of switch is easy because it has a comprehensive look at the hairstyle to achieve. It is different from the individual user who is usually placed in front of a mirror and does not always see the switch in question and when he sees it, sees the upside.

The present invention overcomes this situation by replacing the switch in both directions by a simple switch of type “on/off” 13 to enable or disable an angular accelerometer 1 making it possible by a simple impulse of the wrist in the desired direction of rotation to start the engine in the direction of rotation wanted by the user. With this intention, the user does not need to look at handle 7 but gives simply, and in an intuitive way, an impulse in the desired direction. To disable the rotation of the cylinder, the user again actuates the switch.

An alternative to this operation is the maintenance of the switch, for example a push button, during rotation of the cylinder. Releasing the switch, the motor stops rotating and angular accelerometer 1 is disabled.

The angular accelerometers or gyroscopes are well known in the art and generally operate on a principle of inertia alone or with a return force towards equilibrium. FIGS. 1 to 5 show various accelerometers all based on the same principle. As the axis of the handle 7 of the hairdressing device comprises generally a component parallel to the ground, an element accentuating the effect of gravity on the flywheel 2 as an eccentric mass 14 of the flywheel 2 can be beneficial.

The system of detection of the direction of the impulse given to handle 7 comprises besides the accelerometer a microcontroller measuring the direction and the amplitude of the rotation of momentum wheel 2 via one or several transmitters 5 and sensors 4. The electronic circuit supporting this system of detection is represented on FIGS. 8 and 9. 

1. A hair styling device comprising a rotary part motor controlled by an angular accelerometer in a handle, said accelerometer detecting, in use, rotational impulses about the longitudinal axis of said handle (7) imparted by a user and transmitting a motor start-up signal in the desired direction.
 2. A hair styling device according to claim 1 including a switch on said handle for activating and deactivating said accelerometer.
 3. A hair styling device according to claim 1 wherein said accelerometer comprises: a flywheel freely articulated on an axis of rotation; a transmitter and a torque sensor connected to an electronic circuit comprising a microcontroller for detecting, in use, the angle of rotation of the flywheel relative to said sensors; counting said microcontroller, in use, the signals between the transmitter and sensors and detecting the direction of rotation during a pulse given by the user on the handle in a desired direction of rotation and transmitting an engine start signal in the desired direction if the angle of rotation generated by the pulse is greater than a preset angle.
 4. A hair styling device according to claim 1 wherein said motor is located in the rotatable part of said hair device.
 5. A hair styling device according to claim 1 wherein said hairdressing device is a rotary brush or a hair curler.
 6. A hair styling apparatus, which comprises: a handle defining a longitudinal axis; a rotating element connected to the handle and adapted for rotational movement about the longitudinal axis; a motor for driving the rotating element an accelerometer disposed in the handle, the accelerometer responsive to at least one rotational impulse imparted by a user about the longitudinal axis of the handle to send a signal to actuate the motor in the selected direction.
 7. The hair styling apparatus according to claim 6 including a switch on the handle for activating and deactivating the accelerometer.
 8. The hair styling apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the rotating element is a hair brush.
 9. The hair styling apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the hair brush includes a fan.
 10. The hair styling apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the rotating element is a hair curler. 